Wheeling, W. Va. – In their first year of Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) play, the Wheeling University Rugby Team claimed the first-ever BRRC 7's Championship. On Sunday, they are back in Indianapolis, Indiana at Marian University and they have their eyes on defending their title as they open the BRRC 7's Championship Tournament on Sunday. After winning each of their four regular season tournaments without a loss, the Cardinals look to carry that momentum down the championship stretch.

Last time out, the Cardinals headed to the Moosemen 7's, hosted by Middle Tennessee State. After winning 12 consecutive matches to start the 7's season, the Cardinals took on Louisville in the opener, and ended in a 10-10 tie. While it snapped their win streak, they were able to go toe-to-toe with the Cardinals and avoided their first loss of the season. They would come back in a big way in their second game of the day, beating Dayton 51-7, in what was their biggest offensive output of the season so far. In the third game, the offense cooled down slightly, but the Cardinals still picked up the win taking down Southern Virginia University 28-14, earning them a trip to the championship match. They would once again face the Knights, and this time picked up a 34-12 victory as they claimed their third tournament championship of the 7's season.

After being named a National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) DI All-American during the Fall season, it was once again Aaron Juma that led the way for the Cardinals. He played almost the entire day and was the Cardinal's leading scorer in the effort. It has been a big year for the sophomore, who was part of the Zimbabwe U20 National team during the su.mer and was a candidate for the Major League Rugby (MLR) draft this past August. Last season , Juma came through big in the CRC 7's scoring four tries in the team's three games, including two tries in the opening effort. With the Cardinals setting their sights on the program's first-ever National Championship this season, Juma is going to play a big part in accomplishing that goal. He and the Cardinals offense are averaging 25.8 PPG in 15 games and look to continue that high-scoring effort this weekend.

There are several times throughout a long day of 7's play that your team is going to need a spark. That spark at Moosemen 7's came courtesy of Joseph Ite who came off the bench throughout the day. He would provide a spark for Head Coach Mike Geibel and his team and has been a member of each of the previous three Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) 7'S runs. Iye has been one of the leaders for the team this season and theoughout his career and looks to continue that leadership in Sunday's tournament. The newcomer who has made a big impact on 7's has been Shadrek Mendaza, who made his presence felt right from the get-go. After scoring 10 tries in the team's opening tournament at the Terrapin 7's, the freshman hasn't slowed down as he continues to use his speed and power to be a consistent part of the Cardinal's offensive attack.

As they head to their final 7's tournament before the CRC 7's, it is a matter of keeping their momentum going. They have yet to lose during their 7's season, going 14-0-1 through their 15 matches. They have scored 20 or more points in 10 of those 15 matches this season. Offense has been a key part of the Cardinal's success over the last three seasons and they look to use a combination of speed and power to continue running through the conference tournament. However, the Cardinals have also featured a strong defensive effort that has given the offense an opportunity to score as much as they have. The defense has allowed 15 or less points in 13 of the 15 matches played this spring, including picking up four shutouts during the run. The defense, led by Josh Blankenship and Chief Chipfumbu, looks to continue to hold the opposition in the playoffs.

Pool Play Schedule

Wheeling vs. Rio Grande – 10:20 AM
Wheeling vs. Trine – 11:40 AM
Wheeling vs. Marian – 12:20 PM

The Matchups

Rio Grande: The Cardinals and Red Storm are meeting for the third time in program history, with Wheeling leading the series with a 3-0 record. Two of those three previous matchups have come in 7's play, with the Cardinals winning both of those matchups last season. It has been a high scoring series for the Cardinals, with the team scoring an average of 25.2 points per game in the history of the matchup. Their last meeting would come during the fall in 15's play as Wheeling defeated Rio Grande 22-18. Four different Cardinals would score tries in the game as the team looks to continue moving the ball around.

Trine: The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the first time in program history on Sunday as they battle in Pool Play. Trine has played through four tournaments this season, with their most notable finish coming at the Pittsburgh 7's when they placed third overall. The Cardinals are looking to start the all-time series with a bang as they look to get a big win in pool play.

Marian: The Cardinals and Knights will be meeting for the third time in program history on Sunday, with the all-time series being tied at 1-1. However, this will be the first ever meeting between the two in 7's play, with each of their two previous matchups coming in 15's play. The home team has been the winner in each of the two meetings between the two teams after both joined the BRRC last season. Wheeling has scored 30 points in the first two meetings, with Wheeling defeating Marian 39-30 in the BRRC semifinal round.

The Details

The Wheeling Rugby team kicks off BRRC 7's play at Marian University with their first matchup scheduled for 10:20 AM. For updates and a complete recap at the end of the day, follow along with wucardinals.com.